Abstract
This study assessed the relative importance of problem gambling, cocaine use and selected psychosocial characteristics in predicting criminal convictions. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by clients when admitted to a treatment program for a primary problem with cocaine (n = 300), gambling (n = 199), or tobacco (n = 249). The questionnaire included questions on various psychosocial characteristics and criminal conviction(s) in the past 3 years. Those in treatment for cocaine use or gambling had higher rates of criminal conviction (21.8 % and 11.6 %, respectively) than those in treatment for tobacco (1.6 %). In a multivariate analysis, being in treatment for cocaine or gambling, compared to those in treatment for tobacco, was significantly associated with having had a criminal conviction; while having high levels of social support and being employed full-time were protective factors against criminal conviction. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study causation cannot be inferred.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, C. (2007). Crime, drugs and social theory: a phenomenological approach. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Authour.
Bellringer, M., Abbott, M., Coombes, R., Brown, R., McKenna, B., Dyall, L., & Rossen, F. (2009). Problem gambling—formative investigation of the links between gambling (including problem gambling) and crime in New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.aut.ac.nz/resources/research/research_institutes/niphmhr/report_final_gambling_and_crime.pdf.
Bennett, T., & Holloway, K. (2005). Understanding drugs, alcohol and crime. NY: Open University.
Bennett, T., Holloway, K., & Farrington, D. (2008). The statistical association between drug misuse and crime: a meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 13, 107–118.
Best, D., Sidwell, C., Gossop, M., Harris, J., & Strang, J. (2001). Crime and expenditure amongst polydrug misusers seeking treatment. British Journal of Criminology, 41(1), 119.
Blaszczynski, A. P., & McConaghy, N. (1994). Criminal offenses in Gamblers Anonymous and hospital treated pathological gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10, 99–127.
Blaszczynski, A., & Steel, Z. (1998). Personality disorders among pathological gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(1), 51–71.
Brown, R. I. F. (1987). Pathological gambling and associated patterns of crime: comparisons with alcohol and other drug addictions. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 98–114.
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992). The aggression questionaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 452–459.
Cherpitel, C. J. (1999). Substance use, injury and risk-taking dispositions in the general population. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(1), 121–126.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396.
Colvin, M., Cullen, F. T., & Ven, T. V. (2002). Coercion, social support and crime: an emerging theoretical consensus. Criminology, 40(1), 19–42.
Goldstein, P. J. (1985). The drugs/violence nexus: a tripartite conceptual framework. Journal of Drug Issues, 39, 143–174.
Hammersley, R., Forsyte, A., Morrison, V., & Davies, J. B. (1989). The relationship between crime and opioid use. British Journal of Addiction, 84(9), 1029–1043.
Heatherton, T. F., Kozlowski, L. T., Frecker, R. C., & Fagerström, K. O. (1991). The Fagerström test for nicotine dependence: a revision of the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire. British Journal of Addiction, 86(9), 1119–1127.
Kaplan, G. A., Salonen, J. T., Cohen, R. D., Brand, R. J., Leonard Syme, S., & Puska, P. (1988). Social connections and mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease: prospective evidence from eastern Finland. American Journal of Epidemiology, 128(2), 370.
Kasarabada, N. D., Anglin, D., Stark, E., & Paredes, A. (2000). Cocaine, crime, family history of deviance—Are psychosocial correlates related to these phenomena in male cocaine abusers? Substance Abuse, 21(2), 67–78.
Macdonald, S. (1987). The psychosocail characteristics of alcoholics in treatment who were arrested for driving while impaired. London: The University of Western Ontario.
Macdonald, S., Erickson, P., Wells, S., Hathaway, A., & Pakula, B. (2008). Predicting violence among cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol treatment clients. Addictive Behaviors, 33(1), 201–205.
Meyer, G., & Fabian, T. (1992). Delinquency among pathological gamblers: a causal approach. Journal of Gambling Studies, 8(1), 61–77.
Meyer, G., & Stadler, M. A. (1999). Gambling as a motivation for the commission of financial crime. Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, 256. http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/D/D/1/{DD19845F-E19242-19440C-19955D-CDD19846CB19841A19257}tandi19256.pdf.
Seddon, T. (2000). Explaining the drug–crime link: theoretical, policy and research issues. Journal of Social Policy, 29(1), 95–107.
Skinner, H. A. (1982). The drug abuse screening test. Addictive Behaviors, 7(4), 363–371.
Stewart, D., Gossop, M., Marsden, J., & Rolfe, A. (2000). Drug misuse and acquisitive crime among clients recruited to the National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS). Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 10, 10–20.
Turner, N. E., Preston, D. L., Saunders, C., McAvoy, S., & Jain, U. (2009). The relationship of problem gambling to criminal behavior in a sample of Canadian male federal offenders. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25, 153–169.
White, H. R., & Gorman, D. M. (2000). Dynamics of the drug-crime relationship. In G. LaFree (Ed.), Criminal Justice 2000: The nature of crime: Continuity and change. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the helpful editorial revisions by Victoria Emberley and Kate Vallance. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their most helpful comments and suggestions.
This paper received financial support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martin, G., Macdonald, S. & Ishiguro, S. The Role of Psychosocial Characteristics in Criminal Convictions Among Cocaine and Gambling Clients in Treatment. Int J Ment Health Addiction 11, 162–171 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-012-9406-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-012-9406-1